1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an edible candy confection with improved shelf-life and more particularly to a method of making a confection that uses fresh fruit as an ingredient with improved shelf-life.
2. Background of the Related Art
Confectioners have always desired to use fresh fruit in the confections that they create. Fresh fruit, however, has a short shelf life making it generally unsuitable for mass production. Typically, fruit will only last a couple of days before becoming inedible due to decay, fermentation and mold. Therefore, there is a need for a method to improve the shelf life of confections using fresh fruit as an ingredient.
Use of artificial preservatives has been one solution that confectioners have used in the past to overcome the problem of the short shelf life of the fruit. However, the process of preparing fruit for preservation involves destroying the natural flavoring of the fruit; the most desirable characteristic of the fruit. This problem has been overcome by using artificial flavoring to reconstitute the flavor lost in the preservation process. Additionally, in our health and environmentally conscious society, it has become unacceptable to some people to ingest foods containing artificial preservatives and artificial flavorings as ingredients. Therefore, there is a need for a method to preserve the fruit for use in a confection without artificial preservatives and artificial flavorings and a method to preserve a fruit in a confection without harming the naturally flavoring of the fruit.
In addition, confections made with fruit often have liquid in the center, such as syrup. If the confection is not sealed, the syrup can leak out of the confection creating a mess and allowing mold and bacteria to grow inside the confection. In particular, the bottom surface of the confection has been found to be the weak point in the confection and is prone to being puncture or ruptured. Therefore, there is a need for a method of making a confection that resists damage to prevent leaks and growth of bacteria and/or mold.